It sometimes easier to just use one colour.

It sometimes easier to just use one colour.


I try to start each day with a walk , to clear my head and get my muscles moving.


 

But this blog is about a simple sea painting 

Not this one, but something much more minimal

Many of you know I love the sea, and I like to paint in paynes grey, from time to time. It takes the guess work out of painting now and then, so you can concentrate on the scene.

So first I sketched where the horizon was and the waves and a few marks on the beach where the sun was catching the sand

 

This is the reference photo I was using.

Then I wet the sand part and dropped in some masking fluid where the light was catching it.

Leave that to dry completely , then begin on the sky.

Now this is just paynes grey, but can you see the granulation, that creates the blue , all on it's own, how magical is that ?

Now to paint the sea, just a thin strip in the painting. It is really dark under the waves. I also used a dry brush to create the texture of the water.

 

 

Can you see ? I sort of scrape a dry brush over the paper.

Then I cheat a bit, and use a bit of white acrylic for the surf.

Now to the wet sand, that is mirroring the sky 

Lots of wet in wet

Once that is ok, and dry, perfectly dry ! I can rub off the masking fluid

Finally I worked back into it with more water and paint, a few splashes and splatters...all to make a more interesting foreground

 Have a go, it really makes things simple to just use one colour x

 

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